Pack of Six
by OT6AllTheWay-BCNSTT
Summary: What would Phil Coulsons live have been likfe if he was handler to a pack of dogs, instead of a bunch of immature superheros. A look through his life as he meets and falls in love with his canine family
1. The Intro

Canine Pack

**A/N-So this is in response to my Prompt at Avenger Kink where I asked for a fill in which the Avengers were Phil's dogs. I cannot for the life of me write a long multi chapter story so I will instead try and write a bunch of mini fills.**

**There is a brief mention of Euthanasia and Animal abuse, but nothing will go into detail.**

**Disclaimer-Nothing in this story belongs to me. Except the plot. The character belong to Marvel and the breeds belong to their wonderful creators.**

**Edit 4/10- So, I realized there were more errors than I had realized. So I re-wrote a lot of it and even added some new chapters.**

**So I asked six different people to be my beta and I never heard back from anyone. I am sorry if there is still quite a bit of mistakes. I tried to read through it and fix it. Also if one of you is a beta, I would still love someone to help 8D**

**Also, I have been told a couple times, that a lot of people were thinking of Bruce as a Pit. It is even my head cannon that he is an advocate for the breed. And also people have asked why I picked some such unknown breeds, believe me it was purely coincidental, because I just went to Dog Breed Info and went through every purebred they had. Then tried to get as close to their personality as possible.**

**One last thing, then I will stop, I know very little about anyone but Tony. He is my absolute favorite character and have a pretty good grasp on him. The others, not so much. So I apologize if they seem a little ooc.**

**Ok, honestly the last thing. I know absolutely nothing about Phil Coulson's past. So basically I am making this up, and you might as well have consider this an AU.**

**PACL OF SIX PACK OF SIX PACK OF SIX PACK OF SIX PACK OF SIX PACK OF SIX**

Phil had always been an animal lover, from dogs and cats to Birds and reptiles. Occasionally his parents had indulged him and let him have a hamsters and rats. He had a snake at one point, but after it got loose and was free for a week, his mom put an end to that.

But the one animal his parents had always put their foot down on had been the one he had always dreamed about. As the saying goes, every boy needs a dog.

Only he had grown up in a small apartment, one that did not except dogs. Then there had been the fact that his dad had been allergic and combined with the fact his parents never believed he had been ready; well Phil had just accepted that he would have had to wait until he moved out.

Only life had other plans. At eighteen he had joined the army and never had any time for a dog. It had been during the service that he had met Nick and it had been because of that man that he had been become an agent of SHIELD.

While SHIELD had certainly allowed plenty of time and resources for owning a pet, Phil had decided to advance his career first.

It hadn't been until he was in his 40's, married to his job, and living alone that he had finally remembered that promise he had made to himself almost thirty years ago.

Which was why he had quickly signed up as a foster parent. His longtime friend Mark, was an Animal Control officer and had been working for the Humane Society most of his life and had encouraged Phil. Had said that a lot of dogs need more hands on help to get adopted.

He had been fostering for only a couple years when Mark came up to him and asked if he would like to check out the two new dogs that just came in.

Clint and Natasha was as a package deal. Their story had been a rather common one for a lot of dogs living with older owners. Or so Mark had shared with him.

Their owner was an older gentleman who had lived by himself with only had a flock of sheep and his two Sheepdogs as company. When the man had passed, the family had been given the responsibilities of sorting his affairs including finding home for all his animals. The sheep had been easy, adopted by a neighboring farm.

The two dogs had been more difficult. After days of chasing them across the fields, animal control had shipped there to the nearest shelter. Which had been where Phil had met Clint and Nat.

Both dogs had been deemed unadoptable because of how anti-social they were when they had arrived.

Phil had only been fostering dogs for a couple years when he had come across the two dogs. Mark had mentioned they had just received a Greek Sheepdog and a Sarplaninac, too not well known Sheep guardians.

The plan had only been to only check them out. But when Phil had set his eyes on them, well Phil had known they were meant to be his.

The male was the bigger of the two, standing at 29 inches tall. He was a reverse Brindle and White Greek Sheepdog. A breed well known as a proud hard working Sheep guardian. Great with working in packs, but only loyal to his master.

The female was smaller, only around 23 inches tall. She was a solid sable colored Sarplaninac. A breed known for preferring its sheep over its family. Despite its small statue, she would never hesitate to confront adversaries three times her size.

Even knowing this, Phil never even hesitated to ask Mark to give him a shot. Had begged his friend to give him a month to try and socialize the dogs, get them ready for adoption.

That had been the plan anyway. By the time his month was up, Phil was in love. Clint had quickly warmed up to Phil and was a constant companion. He still spent most of his time checking out his surroundings. And seemed to have replaced sheep with Phil. It took a while to convince Clint that he didn't need protecting.

Natasha on the other hand was the complete opposite. While she was friendly, she was the definition of aloof. Preferring to spend her days laying around either his back yard, or if he was at work, then his office.

Both dogs had been quickly welcomed at SHIELD after it was revealed that they would not be a bother to anyone. Clint would occasionally wander the halls and beg treats of the agents, but he never caused any disturbances and the director had looked the other way.

A little over a year late, Mark had called and asked him for a favor and to stop by the shelter. When Phil had arrived, he had been led into the back of a shelter. The runs had been empty for all but one. In it was a lone hound. A black and tan male that was continually jumping up and down barking his head off.

Mark had informed him, the dog's name was San Antonio or, Tony. Tony had been a regular for several years when he had been dropped off as a puppy. His first owner had been Obadiah Stane who had bought the puppy for hunting. The pup was a stubborn one though and soon Stane had given up and dropped him off at the shelter. Over the next three years several families had adopted him, but quickly realized he was too much of a handful.

So at Five years old, he was at the end of his rope and Mark had called Phil as a last resort. His friend had hoped, that since Phil had transformed Clint and Natasha, he could help Tony become the best dog he could.

Quickly won over, Phil knew he had to think of his other dogs. The first thing he had done was find out as much as he could about the Greek Hound.

The internet had informed him that these slowly maturing dogs are surprisingly swift and powerful for their size. They are Brave, outgoing, intelligent and sometimes inpatient, but also known to an independent breed.

The next thing he had done was introduce the three dogs. This was the one thing he had truly been worried about. While Clint and Natasha were not dog aggressive, at the same time Phil would never trust them alone with other dogs.

To his great surprise though, Clint and Tony got along like a house on fire. Natasha, while more reserved, seemed to tolerate the hyper hound.

Several weeks later, his pack of two soon became a pack of three.

Thor had been a complete surprise and a happy accident. One that had happened on a walk. They had just got off work and like every day the first thing they do is go out long enough to spend Tony's endless energy.

In retrospect, Phil should have been more observant, but it had been a long stressful day and he had been tired. He had just been thankful Thor wasn't aggressive. A dog his size could have really done some damage. Especially since Phil knew Tony would never have back down.

In any case, one minute all four of them had been walking through a quiet neighborhood and the next a big brown dog was face to face with Clint. The stranger was maybe in inch shorter than Clint, but made up for it in muscle.

Quickly he tried to get the pack to turn away and hope the stranger would lose interest, but before he could even tug on the leash, Tony took a bounding leap and landed straight on the strangers back.

In that moment, Tony's life flashed before Phil's eyes and he was already mapping out the nearest animal hospital. It had been pointless through, becausethe giant Stanger just plopped on to the ground and the two dogs were soon in a friendly wrestling match.

Seeing as the giant was friendly, Phil had looked for an address on the collar and led all four dogs to the house.

The plan had been to drop the dog off and yell at the owner about not keeping a better eye on their dog. Unfortunately the house was completely deserted and so Phil was resigned to bring the dog back with them.

Loving dogs as much as Phil did, did not necessarily mean he wanted four dogs, and as much as Phil was falling in love with the stranger, he kept hoping that someone would call and pick up the wayward pup.

No one did through and almost six months had passed before Phil had accepted his fate as one of those people who seem to collect dogs. Not that there was anything wrong with them, Phil had just always imagined himself with one dog, not four.

At any rate, as soon as he had realized the stranger was here to stay, Phil knew he needed to come up with a name. His neighbors were starting to stare whenever he yelled out 'Time to come inside, dog!'

It was with that thought that he started asking around for names. Most of his neighbors had cutesy every day names like Duke or Prince. Hill had suggested General or even Major; she came from a very military background. It was his friend Jasper who gave him the name Thor.

Over the past six months Thor had already wormed his way into the pack, so when it had become official, not much had changed.

He and Tony still loved to rough house, he and Clint still held contests on who could catch the most squirrels; so far Clint was winning, and he and Natasha still patrol the area together.

An old pal of his from the army had once mentioned he saw a program once about the USSR and how they had created this breed that combined the German shepherd and the Carpathian Wolf, they had called it the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog.

It had crossed his mind when he had gone to visit that friend and had been greeted by the sight of a fully functional kennel full of the Wolfdogs. When he had gotten the tour his friend had explained how he was a fully license breeder in a contract with the US army. He explained that these breeds are as Intelligent and hard working as the German shepherd, but is more independent and better suited to working without a human behind him.

He had went on for hours about great this breed is, but needed the right owner. So when Phil was handed a tiny very sickly dog, to say he was surprised would have been an understatement.

The ten month old puppy had been small for a breed that go up to a little over 50 pounds. His coat had been dry and lanky and his nose and eyes would not stop running. He had fallen in love with the pup at first glance, but then his friend told him this particular pup had been too much sickly and though his friend loved all his puppies, the army would have never taken this dog.

He had begged Phil to take the dog. Apologized for putting Phil in this situation. Phil had known he should have said no, known he should have been thinking along the lines of, there are already three dogs at home, he doesn't need another one.

Instead he had packed the puppy in the car, and introduced him to his pack. Phil had always been a big comic book fan and his absolute favorite had been Captain America, and when he had seen the small sickly puppy had been brought into his life, he had promptly named him Steve.

While the health issues had given Phil the idea for his name, he had later realized just how well that name had fit. Even as the smallest and youngest of the group, he had quickly became the mom.

Had been great at always settling the fights before Phil was able to. He had been great the best at keeping Tony entertained. Had been the one to finally bring Nat out of her shell.

Thor though had been Steve's absolute favorite. Those two would spend hours playing in the yard. Could always be found curled around each other on cold nights.

Both Clint, Natasha, and Tony had all come from the shelter. Had been in some ways abandoned by their families. Thor had come upon him by chance and Phil never found out his story. And Steve had been a gift from an old friend who was looking out for one his puppies.

Bruce had already had a home and a family and a big back yard. When people had asked about Bruce, that's what Phil lead with. He didn't mention the fact that he had been beaten so much, it had taken years for Phil to be able to scratch his head without the dog flinching. Bruce never really was able to be convinced it was ok to jump on the couch and if anyone had raised their voice, Bruce was gone and hiding under the nearest surface.

Instead Phil told them that he had belong to General Ross, had been a present for his daughter Betty. That what Betty had later shared with him, Bruce had been a happy playful puppy, but still a hunting breed and needed room to run and a job to do. But Betty, being a little kid, never really understood that and so it had been up to her parents. Only her mom wanted nothing to do with the dog, and her father had always been gone and never had time.

So, much like Tony, he had become hyper and misbehaved. Unlike Tony, instead of being abandoned, he had been beaten until he stopped acting out.

It was shear chance that Phil had found the dog or his family. Happening once again during a walk; where by chance he happened to pass the general's house. And happened to see said General beating said dog.

He never went into detail, because no one really had wanted to know, but he admitted it happened in a flash. One minute he was face to face with the man yelling about animal rights and the next, all six dogs were in his house with the newest cowering in the corner growling at anyone who came near.

It had taken days but he had been able to get Bruce into the car and into the vets without much of an incident. Luck had it that his vet had been a great lover of rare breeds and told him, the minute he arrived with Bruce, that he was a proud owner of a Stabyhoun. A great family dog/hunter. That these dogs are devoted and loving and very tolerate of people.

Most of the time, Bruce had been a very loving dog. Got along great with Tony and slowly got accustomed to the other four. But on those rare occasions, when a couple of his pups started playing to rough or someone who he didn't trust came to visit, Bruce had become a whole new dog.

If a table or bed wasn't available, he would have placed himself into the nearest corner, trying to make himself as small as possible. At first Phil had tried to calm Bruce down himself, assuring the boy he was fine and showing him there was no danger. But as time went on, he realized that Tony was the only thing that truly calmed the terrified dog down.

He would crawl right up to Bruce, wrap himself around him and lay there as long as it took. Phil had been shocked to see his crazy hound suddenly so calm and patient.

Those six mismatched dogs will forever hold a place in Phil's heart. Even when he remember all the stress it caused him. The fights he had to break out. The three walks he had to fit in his already busy schedule so Tony and Bruce would stop bouncing of the walls.

**That's the end of this chapter. Like I said, this is going to be a bunch of mini chapters about the lives of the canine avengers. Please let me know if you want to see something specific. Or even If you see something I need to fix. This is of course un-beta and done whenever I had a free minute. So there is probably a lot of mistakes.**

**Clint- . **

**Natasha- . **

**Tony- . **

**Thor- . **

**Steve- . **

**Bruce- . **


	2. A day in the life of

**Pack of Six- Chapter Two**

**Disclaimer- Nothing is mine. Characters belong to Marvel, and the breeds belong to their creators. **

**A/N First I just want to say, Iron Man was awesome. If you haven't seen it you need to 8D**

**Also sorry this took so long, I was having a really hard time making this longer than two pages, and I am really trying to work on my length. And then when I got the length it just never read right to me and I re-wrote this about five times. So I decided to just post it and see what you guys think.**

**Last, I thought about putting this all chronological I have an idea for chapter three that will either have to take place in the future or be totally ignored by chapter four. Does that make sense?**

_PACK OF SIX PACK OF SIX PACK OF SIX PACK OF SIX PACK OF SIX PACK OF SIX _

When Clint and Natasha became his dogs, Phil had been way over his head. In the past all he had fostered where labs and golden, very easy going dogs. All they took was a kind hand and a soft heart and next thing you knew they had their own family. Clint and Nat on the other hand wouldn't step foot in the house for three weeks. Rain or sleet they slept outside, they ate outside, they did everything outside. Phil had to eventually admit he had no idea what he was doing and call for help.

Tony had been a handful all on his own. He was an older dog when Phil adopted him. Mark was guesstamating around four or five. So he should have had some manners, or at least been housebroken. But apparently a hunting dog is never in the house long enough to learn about housebreaking and every previous owner gave up on Tony before he could learn. So it was up to Phil to teach him.

Thor was a pretty easy going dog right of the bat. He had impeccable manners, never had an accident, always waited for Phil to give the ok to eat and was also a great walker. His only downfall was how he would always be the instigator in wrestling matches. At first only Tony would join in. But by the time Bruce came around, he had converted Clint and occasionally Steve.

Steve was the most well behaved dog out of the lot. Phil often joked he was a mother hen. He also happened to be the only dog Nick enjoyed coming to work with him. He was friendly with everyone and always knew when enough was enough. His only downfall; his mountain of health issues. Phil had lost count of how many vets have told him that it would just be better to put the poor dog out of his misery. But as far as Phil could tell, Steve was never in any pain, just sick a lot. So Phil figured as long as Steve was living a happy healthy life, then euthanasia wasn't even an option.

By the time Bruce had come around, Phil figured he had it down to a science. Thought he had figured the best plan to fit in the walks, and feedings, and getting the dogs on their best behavior at work. Only Bruce had presented a whole new problem.

All his dogs seemed to love everyone. He never had a problem with strangers, as long as Phil wasn't in danger. Bruce on the other hand was so nervous and shy he would flinch at his own shadow. For the first handful of weeks Phil had to leave Bruce at home, because the poor dog had an anxiety attack just looking at the car. Eventually he gained Bruce's trust, but only him. Even the sight of another human being, especially men, had the hunting dog running for cover.

They did share one downfall though. One that every single one had a problem with and one that Phil never really found a solution too. They all wanted to be top dog. Thankfully they knew Phil was alpha, and listened when he said to knock it off, but on days when he wasn't there, it could get messy.

He even had to take Tony to the vet once when he and Steve got into it. He never found out what caused it, but ever since then he and Steve had been best friends. When Tony had come back, with only a handful of stiches to show off, Steve had come over, with his head and tail hanging, and had been the first to greet him. Steve had even offered his favorite stuffless skunk as a peace offering.

The only one Phil never had to worry about fighting was Bruce, and while it broke his heart that his pup had no confidence, he was glad that he had to worry about one less fight. In fact every single one treated Bruce as the puppy in the pact and doted on him.

There had even been once where Phil had been relaxing on the couch and Tony would continually jump on him and try and get him to play. Phil would gently grab his collar and push him down. This would go on for a couple minutes and then he backed away.

Bruce had seen this and decided he wanted on the couch. Phil hadn't know Tony had left so when Bruce jumped up Phil had grabbed his collar and pushed him off. Not only had Phil unintentionally push a little harder than necessary but Bruce hadn't been expecting it and whet tumbling off.

Phil had immediately realized what he had done and tried to see If Bruce was ok. The spaniel had run out of the room and growled when Phil followed him. It had taken a week for Bruce to let Phil anywhere near him and for Thor to stop stepping in-between him and Bruce.

Eventually Phil realized that sticking to a schedule would helped minimize fights and confusion to peck orders. And so had figured the perfect way to fit everything in one day.

Every morning, rather or not he worked, he would wake at five in the morning to take the dogs for a walk. When he adopted Clint and Natasha he had only been doing night walks and maybe afternoon one if he had the time. Tony had changed that the minute he stepped foot in the house.

The hound had way too much pent up energy and had been begging to go out. Once that became a habit all three dogs had calmed down and gotten along much better. It was just obvious that when Thor showed up that he would be included. And then there was Steve, and because he had some, albeit a little, wolf blood in him, he needed the walk almost as much as Tony. With Bruce it had been a way to boost confidence. To convince him this was his pack and that he was safe.

Before the dogs, Phil was in shape but nowhere near what he could be. Too many days in the office and one too many sleepless nights. But one by one Phil took the dogs farther and farther each day to the point where they were easily running three miles.

Since one of things Phil had been warned about when adopting Clint and Natasha was bloat, he always feed the dogs after the walk. Never before. Mark had stressed this point many times. He made Phil swear to always wait at least two to three hours after eating before heavily exercising the dogs. He told him that bloat was dangerous in dogs their size and that it was caused from exercising right after feeding.

That had been the first thing Phil had established. As soon as they got back the dogs would cool of in the back yard while Phil would make his breakfast. Then would the dogs eat. It was only later that that was one of the reasons the dogs listened so well. Apparently alphas ate first.

Before his six unique dogs, feeding time had been as simple as pour the food into the bowl and walk way. No need to make sure the dogs weren't stealing food or getting themselves into trouble. It had been that way with Clint and Natasha too. He would give the dogs their breakfast, walk off and get ready for the day. By the time he was ready to leave both would be lazing around the living room or outside, both bowls empty.

Tony had changed that in an instant. His first day with the hound, Phil had filled all three bowls like normal and had begun to walk away to get ready himself. He hadn't even stepped foot in the living room when he heard a thud and growls. He whipped around to see Natasha pinning Tony to the ground with her teeth next to his throat

As soon as Tony showed his submission, Natasha let him up and he cowered to his own bowl. Phil had just shake his head, and assumed the dogs were just getting use to each other, when out of the corner of his eye he saw Tony slink his way over to Clint's bowl and try to steal some food. Clint had him pinned faster than Phil though of the large sheepdog.

Needless to say, the only solution Phil had found to work was Tony ate last. Which ended up working in the long run when he realized Bruce would refuse to eat until everyone else was finished and seemed a lot more comfortable with Tony at his side.

Thankfully both Thor and Steve didn't really seem to care when Tony would get tired of waiting and try to steal some of their food.

Another down side to having six mismatched breeds, were that they had to eat different brands of food. Or so Phil had learned the hard way,

Apparently Tony had needed a formula for high energy dogs. Even though he got the same amount of exercise as the other five, the hound had never seemed to gain any weight until Phil had switched foods.

Clint and Thor had a formula designed for large breed dogs. Phil had switched when the vet mentioned wanting to make sure they were getting the perfect balance of nutrition and not putting too much stress on their joints.

When Phil had gotten Steve, his friend, and Steve's breeder, had given him a recipe that he had found works great for his kennel. As Steve grew, Phil had just stuck to the recipe and never bothered switching him over.

Bruce and Natasha had to be his easiest dogs all together. Being able to eat dog food straight from the self.

Only after everyone was fed and Phil was dressed and ready would they head off to work.

Before his dogs, Phil would spend nearly every night in his room aboard the 'carrier, or whatever headquarters they would currently stationed at. The first time he tried that with his sheepdogs, it hadn't exactly worked, so he pack his few possession and headed back to his secure home.

At first Phil had been worried about Nick not allowing him to bring the dogs along with him. Worried about him distracting agents or even causing more trouble then was worth. Except both dogs had been on their best behavior and would spend the majority of the day lounging around his office and occasionally getting up to check everything out.

Then Tony arrived. Phil had made sure Nick knew it was temporary, said that Mark just needed him to learn a few manners and he would quickly find a new home. Nick hadn't been worried, said not to worry about it, just to remember he is responsible for whatever he wreaks. At the time he had been joking, thinking it would be more along the lines of Clint and Nat.

On Tony's first day at the office, he caused everything to short-circuit when he lifted his leg on an outlet. He sent an agent to the infirmary when he took a running leap at the poor man. Tripped countless people up when he would tear through the floors and seemed to get enjoyment out of jumping on desks and watching all the papers fall into one big mess.

No one had been happy that day, much less when Tony turned out to be a permanent addition to his family. He was just lucky he was high enough to be above everyone's head, and that Nick was a very good and old friend, or he would have been job hunting the very next day.

As it was that was the moment he instigated the three walks a day and was pleased to see the hyperactive hound calm down a notch. He still enjoyed getting in everyone's way, but had at least stopped racing around the hall ways.

Thor had been an accident no one had planned and Phil thought Nick would have had a heart attack right then and there when he showed up with four dogs in tow. Instead Nick made him swear it would be nothing like last time.

Phil had sworn, and promised Thor would be on his best behavior. Had told his boss that it was just until the dogs owners came to get their dog back. At the time Phil had been thinking about how well behaved Thor was at home. Sure he would rough house with Tony, but knew when enough was enough.

On the plus side, Thor made sure Tony wasn't tearing down the halls and causing a headache. On the down side, the agents now had to now work around a wrestling match going on in the middle of the hall. At least Clint and Nat still preferred to hang around the office, which Phil had told Nick when he was given a glare that would level cities and was told no more.

Three months later, he visited his old army buddy and came back with a Wolfdog. Luckily Steve was still a puppy and everyone was won over pretty damn quickly and by the time Steve lost his puppy charm, he had been too sick to do much roughhousing and spent most days curled around Natasha. And on the days that he wasn't too sick and had ample amount of energy he spent the day rounding up Thor and Tony anyway. Nick begrudgingly let Steve slid, as long as he was the last one.

Phil had almost been scared to bring in Bruce, just because he was honestly afraid Nick might murder him if he showed up with one more dog. He was lucky in a way that if had taken a handful of weeks for Bruce to climb in the car so he had ample time to warn his boss.

Not to mention, by the time Bruce was comfortable enough to come to work, most agents had been dying to see this mysterious dog they had heard so much about.

If Phil had thought Steve was everyone's favorite, he was gravely mistaken. Apparently the sight of a dog cowering in the corner can break even the coldest hearted agent, and everyone from the janitorial to the head honcho's had made it their mission to befriend the cowering spaniel.

Unfortunately Phil was almost always the last to leave, which meant most often Phil's dinner was the nearest drive through and that his dogs wouldn't be eating until well after dark.

On some days, Phil would have to skip the late night walks. Which he always felt do guilty about and made sure to make up for it the next day.

When the day was finally over, Phil was ready to crawl into bed and lose a few hours to blissful sleep. He would start off with nearly all the dogs piled on one another. But as the night wore on, Clint and Nat would plop down on the nearest vent.

Thor would get tired of scrunched in the corner and stretch across the couch with Steve laying on the floor beside him. Phil never knew where Tony would wonder off to, but by day break, only Bruce would be curled up next to him.

Waking up to Bruce curled up next to him and seeing Clint and Nat taking most of the cool air is what makes Phil get out of bed and do it all over again. Because even though the dogs have made his life that much more hectic and stressful on some days, he wouldn't change them for the world.


	3. Who to Call When You're Away

**Pack of Six chapter three**

Disclaimer: None of it is mine. Only the plot.

Also I haven't traveled in years, so I don't know if this is true. But in this story pet friendly hotels have weight limits and or limit on how many dogs you can bring.

Sorry for the long wait. I had two chapters in the works and was hoping to get to a two-in-one, but they both were not coming out right. So here is one brand new chapter and one to help you understand how I chose the dogs and what they look like in my head.

Also thank you so much to everyone on who has reviewed, favorite, and followed me. You don't know how much that makes my day. I am so sorry I don't thank you all individually, you all deserve it, but I never seem to have the time. So just know that you are making my day so much better and I hope for right now this will be enough to make your days better

When Phil had first joined SHIELD, he had thought about getting a dog. He had plenty of money, but no time. Like most junior agents, he was always the first to be sent on the crap missions no one wanted.

As he moved up the ranks and became a handler, he was still being sent on mission after mission. Sure Nick always made sure his people had days off and vacations, but Phil loved working. He hated when Nick would force him to take a week off.

And then during a mission, everything went to hell and he was left with an injury that forced him into recovery for the next several months.

By the time, he was back to one hundred percent, he had begun to foster dogs and realized that he didn't mind a desk job. It allowed him to give back to his community and help him rehome many dogs that would have been put down otherwise.

He had been a foster parent for a couple years when he found Nat and Clint. And Nick had continuously asked if he was ready to be brought back into the field. Insisting his Agents couldn't get along without him.

It ate him alive, but he always turned down the offer. Until one day Nick came up to him and said that Phil was his last chance, every handler was on another mission or not right for the job. He swore all he had to do was sit in a hotel room and keep an eye on everything.

Reluctantly agreeing, he was now tasked with what to with his two new companions. They had only been together for a month and he was afraid sticking them in a kennel, might undo everything he had worked on.

He knew asking some stranger to watch them wouldn't work. Nat barely let him near, never mind someone she didn't know. She always made it very clear she didn't like anyone close to her, and the last thing Phil needed was one of them to bite someone. Clint might behave, he preferred finding impossible hiding spots if he was nervous, but would never go anywhere without he partner in crime.

Jasper, who had overheard about Phil's mission had come to ask about the dogs and quickly agreed to watch them. In Phil's eyes it was perfect. They both knew Jasper at work and Phil didn't have to worry about some teenager getting hold of some top secret information.

Everything was all set up the night before the mission. Jasper spent the night, so the dogs wouldn't be freaked out by him 'breaking' into the house. Phil made sure he knew the routine backwards and forwards, and left the next day with a sworn promise to call if anything happened.

Jasper just laughed at his friend, and told him he was acting like it was his kids first day at school.

The mission was a success and Phil came home three days later. Not sure what he was expecting, it came as a surprise to find the house in pristine condition. Both dogs were laying out in the back yard sunbathing and Jasper was stretched out watching TV.

When he caught sight of Phil standing in the entry way looking like there should be something out of place, Jasper busted out laughing. He assured Phil it was a piece of cake. The dogs were on their best behavior and never gave him any trouble. They went to a walk every day and when he went to work, they went straight to Phil's office and slept all day.

By the time Tony came around, Phil knew he could count on Jasper. All he needed to do was give the other man a heads up and he had a dog sitter for life. It didn't hurt that Nick was kind enough to make sure they were never sent on missions at the same time. But in the off chance it happened, Maria had watched them a couple times and so had Nick.

Then two became three and his lifelong dog sitters were not so quick to offer him their services. It's not that they hated Tony, it's just that the hound was so full of energy and was never taught how to behave appropriately. Even on the best days, Tony drove him crazy, but he was determined to be the last owner this dog was ever going to have.

Sure enough, time and patience are the perfect cure to a hyper active forever-young- hound. Just in time for Nick to hand him another mission too. He was able to convince Jasper that Tony was actually better at home and it would be another cake walk.

Jasper just glared and made him swear on it.

This time the mission was more complicated and took nearly two weeks. When Phil finally made it back home, it was more like what he was expecting the first time.

Toys were strewn all over the floor, the basket Phil had bought just for the toys laid empty. The few pillows that use to lay on the couch were absent. And Jasper was currently chasing Tony clearly trying to get the hound to drop the brush in his mouth.

"Tony. Drop." Immediately he stopped, dropped the brush and ran over to Phil hoping to get some attention. Phil praised him and told him to go find Clint. The hound ran out into the hallway and he could faintly hear the sound of two dogs playing.

This time it was Phil's turn to laugh at Jasper, as the man stand there panting and glaring at him. "And I quote, 'I swear he is much better at home. It will be a walk in the park."

"And he usually is, he is just use to being abandoned whenever he acts up. He was just testing the waters. Seeing how you would react."

Jasper admitted that was a good point, but swore never again.

Not even a year later, he runs into a stray that soon becomes part of the pack. Jasper had kept up his promise and had yet to watch the dogs since that fateful day, and Phil had only been sent on a couple short missions, with his neighbors stopping by and making sure the dogs had food.

Maria and Nick had both heard the horror stories about what Tony had been like and was on Jaspers side. That is until Thor had become a full-fledged member and Phil was told his cousins cancer was back and he needed to come as soon as possible.

Now normally he would just bring the dogs with him when he visited family. Only his cousin was a strict no animals-in-the-house kind of lady, and all the pet friendly hotels had either a limit on dogs, a limit on weight, or both. When he called and said he had two dogs over a hundred pounds and one that was nearly 90, the guy actually hung up on him.

So he was left to beg and plead with his three so called friends to suck it up and watch the dogs. Jasper only agreed if Maria would come with him. Maria only agreed if she got paid double what he was paying Jasper. Nick laughed at him and reminded he was the boss and could still fire Phil. Phil just remanded Nick he wouldn't know what to do with himself without Phil.

The other two demands were easy to agree to and like normal, they stayed over the night before and agreed to call if anything happened.

Luckily his cousin started to have more good days then bad, so he opted to stay longer. He called and let his friends know, both said it was fine and that everything was going great.

It wasn't until the doctors had started to believe she just might make it, that he headed back home. Expecting to be greeted by two enthusiastic dogs, and two less enthusiastic dogs, he was a little disappointed to find no one at the door.

In fact it sounded like no one was home. Not a sound could be heard, no barking dogs, no squeaky toy going off every two seconds, it was kind of nice if not weird. When Phil also noticed the leashes were gone, he figured they were just on a walk.

Slowly time ticked by and Phil begun to worry and had started dialing Jaspers number when the man himself walked through the door with Thor and Tony on a leash.

Jasper was better than Phil when it came to putting on a mask. So when it became transparent that Jasper was hiding something, it was disconcerting. "Where are Nat and Clint?"

Jasper carefully let the dogs go hung up the leashes before starting with 'Now don't get mad, but…"

Turns out Jasper had been called in for a quick question and Maria had agreed to keep an eye on them. But then she saw that he had run out of milk and had run to the store. When she got back, the dogs were gone and the back gate was wide open.

She immediately called Jasper and they both spent hours looking around the neighborhood.

Tony and Thor were found wandering by the neighborhood dog park and were being watched by a couple neighbor kids who knew of them.

Nat and Clint had disappeared and Maria was still out looking for them. Jasper had stopped by to drop the dogs off before he went back searching. Phil wanted to be mad, but he knew his friends didn't do anything wrong and had spent their whole afternoon looking everywhere.

Instead he grabbed his phone and a handful of treats and headed out.

By nightfall, he and Jasper found Clint almost five miles from home, covered in mud and limping. He was easy to lure into the car where Maria, who had run into the two earlier, wrapped him in towels and rubbed him dry.

Phil and Jasper searched on foot for a while, thinking Nat had got caught in a ditch or something, but no such luck.

They stopped by the vet on the way home, and luckily it looked like Clint had just cut his paw on some glass. With a little rest, he should be fine. His vet also promised to keep an ear open if she heard about Nat.

It was with a heavy heart that they called it a night. For days all three spent hours looking for the lost dog. Leaving flyers around and having all his neighbors keep an eye out for her.

It was another week before she came home by herself. Her rich red coat was now a dark brown, her right ear had a tear in it, and she didn't even flinch when Phil fell to his knees and squeezed her.

Phil took her to the vet where she gave Nat a clean bill of health, decided that her ear will heal in time and help her look more like a bamf. All Phil could do was laugh and agree.

When Steve joined the picture, Phil was having a hard time leaving for longer missions. Convinced that something like that would happen again. They never found out if someone let the dogs out or if one of them found a way to open the gate.

Jasper and Maria never stopped apologizing and spoiled Nat for the first week by continually feeding her treats until Phil started complaining that they were making her fat.

Steve's health issues just cemented his idea that he needed to stay at home. What if Phil was away and Steve had a seizer or his cough turned to pneumonia. Nick let him get away with it for the most part until one day when some manic decided it was his destiny to take over the world, and SHIELD had sent out every possible agent they could.

Lucky for him the manic was only a kid and was able to be taken into custody 14 hours later. It also turned out it was the kick in the butt that he needed, because when he got home, all five dogs were safe and sound. Either sleeping on the couch or stretched out by the door waiting for him to get home.

Jasper and Maria had also started to get over their guilt and it was plain as day Natasha was finally glad to have people stop hovering over her.

He and Nick had also agreed to go back to their old agreement, only sending him out when he is the last viable choice. He hated to admit it, but he was getting up there in age. He doesn't bounce back like he used to. Besides, if something happened to him in the field, who knew what would happen to his pups.

Which happen to be great timing because shortly after that Bruce came along. The poor pup was so abused that even Phil couldn't get within two feet of him. And even when Bruce did trust him enough to come to work, the dog just plastered himself under the desk and refuse to move.

He knew in time that Bruce would calm down and learn that Phil meant no harm, may even grow to relax around Jasper and Maria, but right now Bruce didn't need strangers coming in to the only place he felt semi-comfortable.

Getting for bed and watching his dogs go through their own night time routine, it still kills him that only seven years ago that he would bitch to Nick whenever he was forced to go home and relax. And now that is his favorite time, when he gets to come home to a houseful of dogs all excited to be by his side.


	4. Breed Guide

**So I realized my links didn't work on the first page and also I wanted to give you two chapters for waiting this long. Only my ideas didn't play out so here is one full chapter and one full of info.**

**I tried to give links, but apparently they don't work, even if you put spaces. If someone knows how I can get around that please let me know. Otherwise, if anyone is interested you can go to DOG BREED INFO DOT COM and just look up the breeds. If not, here is a brief summery on what helped me chose which person goes to which dog.  
**

**Please let me know on what you think. Even if you think they don't go together at all. Like I said I only really know Tony Stark, and 90% of it is my head cannon, most of which people probably wouldn't agree on. Which is what makes FF so awesome.**

* * *

**CLINT BARTON-** **GREEK SHEEPDOG  
**

NOT a breed for the average pet owner. Proud and hard-working, it is a natural sheep and goat guard, but never gathers or directs them. Working in pairs, the dogs prefer to move at the sides of the flock, guarding against wolves and other predators. The is an independent, brave, decisive, loyal, working dog, with a high sense of duty and strong protective instinct toward animals and its environment. Naturally wary, loyal only to the flock leader-shepherd, the Greek Sheepdog can be characterized as the Big Mountain shepherd's dog of Greece. The Greek Sheepdog is a flock guardian dog used to guard livestock. This breed had to be strong, to be able to persecute during the fight with the enemy as well as to be able to adapt to rough conditions. It does not tolerate violent behavior. It is extremely dominant and requires an owner with very strong leadership; one who understands its flock guardian ways. When placed in a pack situation, this breed will seek to be top dog by intense fights. Suspicious but tactful in the presence of strangers, he doesn't make friends easily. He may appear calm, but he is ready to protect at all costs at any time. When protecting his flock he moves along the border, selecting places from where he will be able to see a wide area. He's aggressive toward the wild animals and able to drive them back with his deep bark. If his deep bark does not drive them away he will pursue the intruder and attack. Early socialization is vital if the dog is to be a trustworthy companion. He can be trained and has a tendency to judge a situation before taking any action. This breed is best trained by an experienced handler who understands how to earn the dog's respect.

* * *

**NATASHA ROMANOFF-** **SARPLANINAC  
**

A flock-guard dog that needs to be working. This sheep-herding guard dog is unaffectionate toward its humans. It prefers the flock it so enthusiastically protects. It has natural guarding qualities and independent thinking typical of the flock guard group. Usually calm, but when the situation warrants, it is ferocious in its efforts to protect the flock. It takes its work seriously. When on sheep-guarding duty it will investigate anything that catches its eye, and has no hesitation about confronting adversaries larger than itself. This is not a brainless tail-wager; the Sarplaninac is a very wise dog that chooses friends carefully and trusts no one completely. He is more obedient to his ingrained; The Sar will protect all of its territory and the living creatures within it. This is a breed that is not to be taken lightly. It can be a rewarding experience if placed in the proper situation. They require work, time and, like anything else on a farm, proper management.

* * *

**TONY STARK-** **GREEK HOUND**

Brave, outgoing, intelligent and sometimes impatient, this breed is a passionate hunter but it is never vicious. Friendly, affectionate and extremely playful. As a farm dog, it's happy and useful in many ways, as it is not without a sense of boundaries and it will give voice in the presence of strangers or danger, relentlessly chasing vermin as well. Extremely courageous and resourceful, it possesses the stamina and cunning necessary to face a wild boar. However, in the presence of its master, it's a happy and friendly fellow, wagging its tail and living peacefully with other dogs. Traditionally, the breed hunts in pairs or small groups of three or four dogs. They are surprisingly swift and powerful for their size. While essentially good natured, this is an independent breed; young males are best raised by an experienced handler. Maturity comes late, usually at two or three years of age. Has a beautiful and loud voice that can be heard for many miles. The breed gives voice on the chase and is fit to travel great distances on the gallop, capable of hunting independently if it has to, before turning the hare to its handler. This innate ability means that the breed has a strong temperament and it can be stubborn if it senses it owner is meek or passive. These dogs are slow at maturing.

* * *

**THOR ODINSON-** **LAKOTA MASTINO  
**

Driven, energetic and very intelligent, this courageous breed is highly trainable and it excels in sports such as Personal Protection, Weight-Pull, Mondio Ring and similar activities. Strong prey and defense drives, and has a temperament perfect for the tasks of working dog training and is highly intelligent. Its temperament is marked by patience, composure, boldness and courage. It is energetic and has the drive to be active. Watchful, it is on the lookout, observant or attentive to its surroundings. Should be conscious of what is going on around him. It may be the flick of an ear or a quick glance but few things go unnoticed. When working it is determined—being resolved in a decision and maintaining an intense, steady focus on the task at hand. This breed is fearless and will confront the unknown with a confident, stable attitude. Alert and aware of the surroundings and ready to respond. Loyal, with faithful allegiance to its master; it has the desire to give 100% without question and remain steadfast in defense and support of its master's needs. Stability, confidence, courage, sharpness, hardness, sociability and sensitivity are all characteristics the Lakota Mastino is known. Can be aggressive and on guard when needed, and a very stable and noble breed, making a wonderful family companion, gentle with children and completely devoted to its master and family. This is a smart and calm mastiff, choosing its battles carefully and reacting only when necessary. Lakota Mastino can sometimes be confrontational around strange dogs without it. Fairly playful and loving of its human family,

* * *

**STEVE RODGERS-** **CZECHOSLOVAK WOLFDOG  
**

Lively, very active, capable of endurance, docile with quick reactions. It is fearless, courageous, suspicious, yet does not attack without cause. It shows tremendous loyalty towards its master. Resistant to weather conditions. Versatile in his use. The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog is very playful. Without proper leadership it can be temperamental. It learns easily. We can admire its all-around qualities rather than its specialization. However, we should not expect it should train spontaneously; the behavior of the CsV is strictly purposeful—it is necessary to find motivation for training. They are really independent and can cooperate in the pack with a special purposefulness. If required, they can easily shift their activity to the night hours. The independent work of the pack without the necessary control of a man was the reason for their use in the army. Sometimes problems can occur during their training when barking is required. Czechoslovakian Wolfdogs have a much wider range of means of expressing themselves and in some situations barking is unnatural for them; they try to communicate with their masters in other ways. Generally, to teach CsVs stable and reliable performance takes a bit more time than it does to teach traditional specialized breeds. The Czechoslovakian Wolfdog can be a bit dog aggressive if the humans are not displaying the proper authority. It is not generally trustworthy with other pets. It is usually good with children, but suspicious and watchful with strangers.

* * *

**BRUCE BANNER- STABYHOUN  
**

Stabyhoun- Devoted, soft and gentle as a pet, very intelligent, obedient, and a good guard dog, not vicious or snappy. It is highly trainable, but needs consistency. The Stabyhoun has a nice temperament, is friendly, tolerant and willing to please. A characteristic is its great tolerance toward children. Animals that belong to the household are treated in a friendly way. This dog has a laid-back temperament and it loves to play with children. It makes a good watchdogs. It is very affectionate and many of these dogs love to "cuddle." This dog is a wonderful pet to have around the house and is just perfect for life in Holland with its many waterways and parks. While it makes a good watchdog, it is friendly and amiable. It is also a very powerful dog and larger ones can pull sleds in the winter. By its nature, an obedient, peaceful, kind and patient dog that is deeply fond of its family, and it likes to please its owner. Social and quiet, friendly. Utmost a wonderful family and companion dog. This breed likes to have a job to do, because of its great intelligence, speed, flexibility and eagerness to please, it is ideally suited as an agility dog. These dogs are keen and active dogs outside, but calm dogs inside of the house, as long as they get a moderate amount of daily exercise. The origin of the breed is in hunting, and while they are still used for that purpose, they are nowadays foremost used as family companions.


End file.
